No Matter The Cost
by KjarthofStormhold
Summary: Mysterious ships of unknown origin are terrorizing Federation planets. They are more powerful than anything Starfleet has ever seen. The crew of the Belleau Wood must find a way to end this threat. (Story is better than summary, I swear, please read)
1. Chapter 1: First Contact

**Author's Note: I do not own anything related to Star Trek or Star Wars.**

* * *

_Ba'jur bal beskar'gam; Ara'nov, aliit; Mando'a bal Mand'alor- An vencuyam mhi. This is our legacy. This is what we leave behind for our children. Our education, our armor, our tribe, our language, our leader. These things have helped us survive for millennia. And now, we finally have a new chance. A chance to start over._

-Ansik Kalter, private journal entry

* * *

The colonists jokingly called their planet 'Midgard' in reference to the Old Norse mythologies of Earth. Most of them were human. The non-humans, after it had been explained to them, decided to play along. It was a peaceful colony, mostly involved in agriculture. The colonists lived simple lives, never coming under attack by the Klingons, who they were vaguely aware they were at war with.

This is, perhaps, why the appearance of a strange ship in their atmosphere didn't really trouble them at first. And when the ship landed, they were more curious than afraid.

"What is it, Mommy?" Lieutenant Andrew Newman smiled at the little girl's question. He folded his hands behind his back.

"It's a spaceship, honey," the mother explained to her daughter. The little girl rolled her eyes.

"I know _that_, Mommy," she exclaimed, frustrated that her mommy could be so unsmart, "What _kind_ of spaceship?" The mother looked around in confusion. When her eyes fell on the gleaming golden combadge on Andrew's chest, her shoulders slumped with relief.

"Excuse me, sir," she called out, "are you a Starfleet officer?" The girl's eyes brightened and she smiled at him.

Andrew smiled at the two. "Yes, ma'am," he answered, "I'm Lieutenant Newman, assigned to the _USS Tripoli_. I'm here on leave visiting my family."

"My daughter wants to know what kind of spaceship this is," the mother explained, "We were wondering if you knew."

Andrew sighed and looked at the ship closely. It had a saucer-shaped hull toward the rear of the vessel. With the cockpit and connecting structure, it was probably about 46 meters in length.

It had two large engines, positioned port and starboard aft of the vessel, and two smaller engines, located between the larger ones, that looked probably like they were more for maneuvering in space.

For weaponry, the ship had two visible cannons located in the nose of the ship, and two more cannons located in a turret atop the freighter. The two in the nose appeared to have a very limited fire-arc. However, the turret-mounted cannons probably made up for the area not covered by the forward cannons, and could fire in any direction.

There were some strange scratch-like characters near what he assumed was the cockpit which were probably the name of the ship, but it wasn't in and language he could read. Judging by the paint on the ship, it had seen a lot of action.

In short, he could deduce much _about_ the ship, but he had little clue what it actually _was_. The lady looked slightly disappointed when he told her this, but before the daughter could ask the next question obviously on her mind, the hatch on the strange ship opened.

"Looks like everyone's finally here…" Andrew said to himself.


	2. Chapter 2: The First Shot

_The majority of Mandalorian armor appears to be made of a very solid material, resistant to virtually every kind of damage. The armor does eventually give way, however, it requires massive amounts of time than the one wearing it would never allow. In short, we have no effective weapons against this._

Lt. Comm. Ericson, _Starfleet Report on Mandalorian Combat Tactics, Weapons, and Armor_

* * *

"Looks like everyone's finally here…" Lieutenant Andrew Newman, Starfleet Tactical Officer, said to himself.

Three beings stepped off the ship. Andrew's eyes widened with shock. These beings were armored from head to toe. Full helmets covered their faces with intimidating black T-slit visors. Segmented body armor protected the rest of their bodies, and it looked _used_.

The one in the center looked like the leader. He-all three looked male-had silver armor tinged with blue around the visor, gauntlets, and boots. He had what looked like a jetpack on his back, and two deadly-looking pistols hung from twin holsters strapped around his thighs. He had five black chevrons on his left shoulder.

The being on the left had sand-gold armor with spikes arranged in a ring around his helmet, two single-edged blades slung over his back, and various knives hanging from ammo belts strapped over his chestpiece, along with the belt at his waist. He only had three black chevrons on his left shoulder.

The third wore green armor and what looked like bundled camouflage netting over the rucksack on his back. He held a long, worn-looking rifle with a perforated barrel and shoulder sling in both hands. He also had three black chevrons on his left shoulder.

"Who's in charge here?" The silver armored one spoke, his voice amplified by the helmet. The colonists all flinched. No one responded. "I said who is in charge here?"

"I am in charge."

Everyone turned to look as a Human Starfleet Security Officer, his uniform immaculate, flanked by four others, marched directly up to the strangers. "I am Lieutenant Commander Vance Armstrong, Chief of Security for this colony." Andrew flinched.

Lt. Commander Armstrong was infamous amongst several ships of the fleet. He had a reputation for ruthlessness and xenophobia. An incident with a Klingon POW had nearly gotten him court-martialed, were it not for the fact that Starfleet needed every warm body it could get. Vance was considered generally unstable, and had been assigned here, as far away from any front as possible, to protect himself and the "peace". Which meant something bad was going to happen soon.

Eyes widened in surprise as the strangers removed their helmets. The green armored one, a Human, looked unremarkably average, while the other one, in the golden armor, looked humanoid, but he had no hair. Instead, a ring of spikes crowned him, and he had what appeared to be ritualistic or tribal tattoo lines covering his face.

The silver armored one had light brown hair. A scar stretched across his face from above his right eye to just below his mouth. He had muddy brown eyes and fair skin, light from the armor, Andrew guessed.

"I am _Alor'ad_ Kaster Zash. This is _Ruus'alor_ Vaddin Gant, and _Ruus'alor_ Kadrian Zey," He said with a smirk, gesturing first to himself, the Human, and then the alien. "We-"

"I don't care what you want," Armstrong interrupted, "I am placing the three of you under arrest in the name of Federation Security, and any other freaks of yours-" he glared at the alien"-on that ship."

The alien-Zey, that's what his name was- balled his fists. "Freaks?" he growled. The leader-Kaster-held up his hand in a blocking gesture.

"_Udesii, vod_," he said, obviously intended to calm Zey, "_Nu jii_."

Zey sighed. "_Elek, Alor'ad_." Kaster didn't lower his arm.

"Tread carefully, Armstrong," He said, menace subtle in his voice, "You bring insult to my _vode_. You risk war with the Mandalorians, and that is no small matter."

"I'll do whatever I damn well please, boy," Armstrong sneered, "I don't care who you are." He drew his phaser and pointed it at Kaster. "I order you alien-loving scum and your pet show of freaks to surrenderright now, or I will order my men to fire upon you."

"So be it." Kaster let his arm fall.

In a flash, Zey leapt forward, one of the blades from his back now in his hands. In one stroke, he sliced Vance Armstrong across the chest, killing him instantly. The remaining Security personnel opened fire.

Kaster and the third Mandalorian-Gant-raised their weapons and fired. Two bolts of energy, one golden-yellow, one red, flew through the air and struck two of the officers with Armstrong, killing them instantly. Zey's blade slashed another _through_ his rifle, and the last dropped his weapon and fell to his knees, hands above his head.

"Your Federation has declared war on the Mandalorian Empire," Kaster yells to the assembled civilians, "And the penalty-" he pointed his pistol at the kneeling security officer "-is death." Andrew flinched as the gun discharged once more. Carefully, he crept backwards towards the edge of the crowd. Kaster was speaking about "martial law" and the "new rulers" of their little colony.

He flinched as he bumped into armor. Turning around, he looked evenly into the eyes of the green armored Mandalorian, Gant.

"Take your family and go," Gant said, his voice just barely above a whisper, "You have my word you will not be harmed." Without looking back, Andrew took off towards his parent's house on the other edge of town.

"Someone must take the warning to others," Gant answered the unspoken question before Zey even had a chance to speak. The Zabrak grunted.

"I trust your judgment," the alien said, "but _Alor'ad_ Zash may not agree."


	3. Chapter 3: Escalation

_An exhaustive study of the Mandalorian tongue has revealed that it has many more terms of insult than almost all of the known languages in this quadrant. However, Mandalorian pejoratives, unlike most other languages, are not concerned with the more common themes of parentage or appearance. Rather, they focus more around cowardice, stupidity, laziness, dull conversation, or a lack of hygiene. This reflects the preoccupations of a culturally nomadic warrior society, where bloodlines matter less than personal traits, faces are largely hidden, and a clean camp is crucial to their existence._

-Talok, Vulcan xenopsychologist, in a report to the Vulcan Science Academy on the Mandalorian culture

* * *

**Starfleet HQ, Earth, Sol System**

"We cannot allow these barbarians to get away with this!" A human admiral shouted from his end of the table. "They've declared war on the Federation! This could re-spark the war with the Klingons! Hell, the Romulans might join in as well!"

"While your assessment of the possible situation is valid, Admiral," a Vulcan nearby spoke up, "Why have there been no further attacks on Federation planets?" Before the Human could answer, an Andorian stood.

"It's obvious," he said, "The invaders are consolidating their hold on the planet they already have, and are probably preparing an invasion of other planets."

The Vulcan nodded to the blue-skinned alien. "And as they appeared to have only the single ship, the consolidation and subsequent preparation for further expansion should allow us some time to prepare." He looked to the Human. "I believe that is Admiral Cole's area of expertise."

Admiral Cole nodded. "I'll send out a message to all Federation ships. All unidentified ships of Mandalorian origin are to be destroyed at once, and any survivors arrested." He looked to the Andorian. "Vice Admiral Shras will prepare a task force to retake the colony."

* * *

**Command Bridge, Mandalorian Capital Ship, Interstellar Space**

"You. Did. _What_!?" Kaster flinched away from the harshness of the question.

"I-" he began.

"You _attacked_ and _killed_ four soldiers on a potentially friendly planet, _for nothing more than a name-calling_!" Zey stepped forward to defend his captain, but the glare he received from the other Mandalorian silenced his protest before it was born.

"Not only that, you _executed_ another of their officers, and then _you declared martial law_!? You are the biggest _mir'shebs_ I have ever met!" The Mandalorian shouting stopped as another, one who carried obvious authority held up a hand.

"That's enough, Ansik," the second said calmly. His armor was pure silver in color, the only other decoration a black mythosaur skull painted on his left shoulder, surrounded by a ring. But most shocking of all to one who had never seen it was his face. He looked Human in all respects, save two. His skin was blue, and his eyes glowed solid red.

Ansik was about as opposite the immaculate figure of the _Mand'alor_ as one could get. His armor was dented, it's black paint scheme tinged with blood-red around the gauntlets, boots, and visor of his helmet-currently under his arm-was chipped, and a black half-cape hanging from his right shoulder, also tinged with red, was tattered at the hem. He had five faint gold chevrons on his left shoulder.

Ansik was a Human, like Kaster. His face was scarred, and his skin was pale. There the similarities ended. Ansik's hair, unlike Kaster's, was black, buzzed short on the sides, roughly a centimeter longer on the top. The scar on his face stretched from just above his left eye into his hairline, where his hair grew white. He had brilliant, electric blue eyes that at the moment blazed with anger. But he stepped back. "_Elek, Mand'alor_," he growled.

"Kaster Zash, you have made your report, and I am turning you over to the council of Clan Zash for judgment," The _Mand'alor_ said. With a bow, Kaster turned and left, Zey following close behind. "Ansik, I am reassigning Vaddin Gant to the _Resol'nare_. You are responsible for him and his actions as they reflect the Mandalorian Empire."

"Yes, sir." Ansik bowed, and began to leave, Gant moving to follow.

"_Mand'alor_? I have something to report," one of the deck officers, her armor marked with four chevrons, reported from the communications console.

"What is it?"

"It's the _Kyr'bes_, sir…" the _ver'alor _hesitated, "Sir…it's been badly damaged."

"Is Isana alright?" Ansik asked, running towards the console before _Mand'alor_ could even open his mouth to ask.

"Un-unknown, sir. _Ver'alor_ Fissk is on the comm…" Ansik took over the chair.

"_Kyr'bes Kyr'bes Kyr'bes_, this is _Alor'ad_ Ansik Kalter. What is the status of _Alor'ad_ Vai'san'avis?" Worry was evident in his tone.

Thar'ari'sanov, _Mand'alor_ of the Mandalorian Empire, was glad that someone else could be so worried. He had an image to uphold, and fretting over his daughter was not a good way to keep it.

The smiling face of his only child still lifted his spirits, however stoic he looked to the crew. But she wasn't smiling at him. "_Udesii, cyar'ika_," she said, "I'm fine. I was helping the engineers seal a hull breach, and Lieutenant Fissk had to answer the challenge." Ansik's shoulders slumped with relief.

"What happened?" was the first obvious question to ask when Isana had come aboard. She frowned.

"We came out of lightspeed above an inhabited planet, intending to purchase supplies and attempt to feel out the galactic situation, as per my _buir_'s orders, but we were fired upon the second we tried to contact a ship in orbit around the planet. We jumped as soon as we could."

"Were your shields not functioning?"

"We had no time to raise them."

_Mand'alor _Araris opened the intercom to the bridge. "_Mand'alor_ to bridge."

"Sir?"

"Contact the _Al'verde_ of the _Copad_. Tell him that we are at war. Then set your course for this "Midgard". We have new citizens of the Mandalorian Empire to greet."

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**AN: To help in understanding the Mandalorian tongue (_Mando'a_), I've included translations of _Mando'a _words in the chapter. This will become standard for future chapters as well.**

mir'shebs: Total idiot; literally: shit-for-brains

Mand'alor: Mandalore; leader of the Mandalorians

Elek: yes

_Resol'nare_: The Six Actions; also the name of a ship

_Kyr'bes_: skull; also the name of a ship

ver'alor: lieutenant

alor'ad: Captain

Udesii: calm down

cyar'ika: term of endearment; dear, honey, sweetie

al'verde: commander

_Copad_: ambition; also the name of a ship

**Until next time, alles! Tchüss!**


End file.
